Forging Bonds
by Sigh-Ah
Summary: PREQUEL this is when Bumblebee was still 'Tail Wind' and was mates with Ratchet/Ironhide. its also mostly prewar and how Bumblebee came to be where he is in Breaking Bonds as mates with Prowl/Jazz. It's mostly just a filler so it will assist its brother story Breaking Bonds, in filling in unknowns. M for a reason MECH/MECH M Yaoi, Dark/Fluff its a collage: More INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1

**I OWN NOTHING**

**okay this came to mind from something a reviewer said (thank you Stitchar lol) but I asked a round to see if it would be a good idea and was positively reinforced so I started it as soon as I got a new Word Doc. So I've started it...its Brother in Arms (Breaking Bonds) is still in the works as well but I have realized I've put so much into that story but only given hints and beat around the bush of Ironhide/Ratchet/Bumblebee...so I have started the Prequel so it will fill in the gaps...this story isn't planned to be SUPER long maybe only 7-10 Chapters (give or take some) so here it is.**

**Tail Wind IS BUMBLEBEE he looks different before G1 due to an accident later on described so don't freak. ^.^**

**Pairings: Bumblebee(Tail Wind)/Ratchet/Ironhide, (hints of Orion/Bumblebee,) Doubledealer/Bumblebee, Skywarp/Bumblebee**

**WARNING! this story will have, violence, rape/nonconsensual, abuse, mech/mech, Dugs, Fluff, Dark, Yaoi, some gore? its my usual list ya know?**

**CLUE: if you didn't know this is a PREQUEL as in BEFORE, it's Brother story Breaking bonds is the MAIN plot this is just a filler to help readers know how things came to be in that story. I hope you enjoy it**

Chapter 1

(A/N: _Tail Wind_ is a muscle car, but if you had to know what he looked like imagine him looking like a Cybertronian version of a 2015, Porsche 915 Spyder {look it up it's a beautiful car} he's still yellow but his bipedal mode looks like the Transformers Prime Bumblebee okay? So he's taller, slim, and has door wings.)

Tail Wing was exhausted, his bright yellow armor was covered in mud and grime; it had been raining off and on for the last orn. Flooding had become a huge problem in the lower levels of the city and every day mechs and femmes were begged to spare time and come down to help set up barricades. Tail Wind had gladly forfeited his time to help; as a matter of fact the lean speedster had dedicated every cycle of his waking moments to helping those who needed it. The rewards were great when the others smiled and he had made many new acquaintances but…. afterwards he was left weak, tired, and filthy.

Tailwind groaned as his wings twitched and rotated and he could feel the grit scrape irritatingly in the joints. "Awe, mech." The young yellow said in aggravation. As he turned away from the last loaded barricade bag, he stopped and groaned when he noticed more bags where arriving for the unload. He looked about and judged how much help was present…not many, only as few as 27 bots were present trying to save the rundown part of the city, and most looked like resident of the run down area.

Most bots didn't care if the down town was flooded only the poor bots living there did and as Tail Wind knew from experience nobot cared what happens to them. He did, Tail Wind cared greatly some of his best friends lived in the run down area, he himself still did.

He was exhausted the recommended time to spare was only meant to be a cycle or two but already he was 29 cycles in. He slowly staggered to the large carrier who dumped his load of barricade bags and left to retrieve more. Just as Tail Wind was handed a bag he had turned around and he felt sick and weak suddenly the bag slipped from his hold and fell to the ground. The large bag was dropped onto red pedes and a mech cursed as he hopped on one pede and with a few hisses and grunts glared at the yellow mech. "I-I'm so terriberbly zarry-" his vocals frits and slowed down giving him a slurred sound as he spoke and he staggered backwards before stumbling and falling.

Strong red arms encircled his slender frame tenderly keeping him from hitting the unforgivable ground. The red mech before him went from frustrated to concerned immediately looking the speedster up and down with critical optics. "You are the mech Tail Wind from earlier right?" the red and blue spoke soothingly.

The smaller yellow mech looked up at the red and blue mech with dazed and dim optics. He tried to place a designation to the mech but nothing came to his exhausted CPU. The larger red mech approached the others side. Tail Wind didn't respond but kept looking between the mechs as if processing a little slower than your average mech.

"Ironhide, is there a medical team on sight?" he asked his friend.

The red mech shook his helm. "No Orion, the closest we have here is Ratch, I'll go get 'im." The mech quickly walked away in search of their friend.

Orion looked down smiling softly at the dazed youngling in his arms….well the mech might just BARELY be out of his youngling frame but he was still very dainty. It was obvious by his build he was meant for speed. "Tail Wind, Ironhide has gone to get Ratchet. You met him earlier okay? He'll help you." The red and blue said kindly still cradling the smaller mech.

Tail Wind tried to get up but his joints creaked and screamed in protest before giving out forcing him to slump back into the archivists' arms. "Easy little one, you look in bad shap-"

Before the mech could finish an angry looking Ratchet was on the approach with an intimidated Ironhide hot on his pedes. "What the _frag _happened here?!" he exclaimed as he knelt beside his friend and the younger mech.

Tail Wind grinned at Ratchet causing his intakes to halt. He was used to mechs and femmes wincing, cowering, and even getting snippy with him when he was in 'the mood' as it had been titled in class but a fond and apologetic smile was never a response. Slowly Ratchet cleared his CPU and tried to get down to business. "What happened youngling? How do you feel?"

Tail Wind frowned and off lined his optics. "I am not a youngling!" he quickly said before groaning as his CPU felt like it was going to crash with his raised voice. "Forgive me please, It must be due to me having skipping my morning rations, sometimes I get a little rattily when I do so." Tail Wind amended himself.

The red and white glared at the insolent slim framed mech. "You can tell me all you want that you didn't have breakfast, but my scanners picking up on very low recharge and-" Ratchet halted in his assessment when he got the reading depicting how long the mechs yellow body had been online and active without rest or a meal. Ratchet didn't know what possessed him but he –quick as lightning- unsubspaced a wrench and smacked the dirty golden helm. "you glitch! What were you processing?! Your readings are terrible!" he exclaimed and Orion and Ironhide both looked on in shocked surprise as the wrench was waved in the air dangerously. They had never known Ratchet to HIT a bot before, especially when he was aiding them…

"Ratchet, is hittin' tha kid really necessary?" Ironhide asked looking at the writhing mech as he gripped at his helm weakly with whimpers.

Ratchet turned around and raised the wrench up threateningly and Ironhide quickly backed down with raised servos. Ratchet turned back to the whimpering mech in the larger arms of Orion. "you are young but should be old enough to know how to maintain yourself better than this!" Ratchet chided. Looking to the still worried faceplates of his friends he sighed, he looked back to the yellow speedster. "You just need recharge and some Energon and you'll be fine, Ironhide, please help Orion get him to the tent over there." Ratchet said as he glanced around to notice that others had stopped working and were looking at them curiously. Turning Ratchet raised the wrench still in no mood to take anything from anybot. "What are you slaggers looking at?!" he demanded and every bot scurried away and back to work. Ratchet subspaced the wrench and trotted after his friends and his 'patient'.

5 cycles earlier at the Archive and Ministry Hall

"Orion, please they are sorely hurting for help. I'm going 'cause I can use it on my resume for my Medics License; after all, only a couple more decacycles and I'll be a true medic! " the red and white mech said pleading with the slightly larger mech.

Orion sighed and looked his youngling friend over, VORNS they had been friends and yet still the pleading optics got to him. "_Alright_, but I cannot stay too long I have an early shift in the morning." Ratchet nodded triumphantly and shifted, his larger friend doing the same.

When they arrived at the small work site, mechs and femmes worked like little glitch bees as they tried to build up a dike. A Large red mech that was taller than Ratchet and shorter than Orion met them with a thankful grin. "Orion! Ratchet! Glad ya could make it!" Ironhide exclaimed going up to their side.

Orion looked at his smaller friend while smirking. "Ratchet, you never said this was a mechs night out?" he said lightly while shaking the large red mechs hand before bringing him into a strong embrace.

Ratchet shrugged grinning. "What can I say? I thought we needed to hang out." Ratchet was cut off when he looked over Ironhide's shoulder… "what the-?" he trailed off taking in the show.

A Young muscle car was looking abashedly at the ground while a much larger seeker towered over him talking at him and not to him. Then he could hear the yelling. "A pit spawned glitch like you doesn't even deserve to try and help you'll just frag everything up!" the flier screeched at the yellow mech. The yellow bot not looking scared, but defiantly looking upset.

"Please I said I was sorry, I just couldn't see you bent over, the barricade bag was in the way, please i-" the yellow mech looked exhausted and completely ruined and barely on his pedes, yet he still picked up his barricade bag even as the other mech cursed and degraded him.

"You worthless no good grounder! I bet your only here trying to save your home huh? You're a no good street freak, huh is that it? I bet you're an orphan, not even your Carrier wanted you-"

"That's quite enough Skywarp." The large Red mech growled as he approached the debacle. Skyward whirled around and was met with three disapproving pair of optics. Feeling outnumbered Skywarp snarled but backed down his turbine whirring angrily.

Ironhide let a small rev come from his engine. "mech, why on Cybertron would you let tha' no good seeker talk down to ya like that? Aren't ya angry at 'im? " Ironhide asked looking on at the tired mech who merely shifted the large sack full in his arms still smiling tiredly.

Tail Wind shrugged and canted his helm to the side. "I am not angry, I do not get angry when somebot makes statements about me or opinions, I do however get upset when they lie to me. But every statement is true, I do live in the rundown subs of this city, I was orphaned by my carrier, and this is my home." He looked up happily, like he was without a care that his life already was so terrible. How could somebot ever look so happy about a history like that?

Orion smiled fondly at the mech and extended his servo. "it's nice to meet you, my designation is Orion Pax. "

Tail Wind jerked in response before dropping his bag onto the ground and offered his own servo. The bag fell onto Ironhide's pede and the red bot pulled his pede from under the bag with a hiss and grunt, favoring his pede. Tail Wind looked at the mech just as his servo met the other mechs in a firm shake. The yellow mech gasped as he slowly computed what he had just done.

"Oh Primus! I am so sorry I wasn't thinking! Please I am sincerely sorry sir!" Tail Wind said while he struggled hefting the bag back up and onto this shoulder his door wings flattening against his back with a kind of lag in their functions that was testament to how truly tired he was.

Ratchet smirked at Ironhide as he went around Orion to stand next to himself just to get away from the clumsy mech. Ratchet offered his servo next. "Designation Ratchet, you were? I didn't catch yours?"

Tail Wind offered him a spark shattering smile. With both servos Tail Wind clasped the red servo firmly. "My designation's Tail Wind, I'm a racer…usually."

He almost chirped as the bag lost balance and slipped off his shoulder landing to the ground again and on a red pede. "Slag! By Primus kid! You're a walking accident!" he hissed leaning on Ratchet and pulling his pede up to be cradled in his servo.

Tail Wind reset his optic and his face flushed. "I am so sorry! I-I just seem to be processing a little slower please I didn't even mean-"

Ironhide watched with almost a comical expression as the yellow speedster became almost scared and flustered. "Calm down kid, I'm only givin' ya a hard time." He said gently the younger mech nearly melting in relief. Dropping his pede he offered his servo. "Designations Ironhide, it's a pleasure." Tail Wind hadn't looked up to see the mech had extended his servo just as the yellow mech bent to pick the bag back up. Ironhide quickly cut in. "Actually kid, you should leave that one to me, it likes my pedes enough I think I'll get it!" He quickly said stepping on the barricade bag and forcing Tail Wind to look up in confusion.

Standing Tail Wind looked at the bag then nodded gently taking the still offered servo. "Pleasure." He said in agreement. "whelp I better get back to work we are sorely lacking in help, and we still have so much left to do and the water isn't stopping for us." Tail Wind said looking up into the sky as it began to rain harder his servos extended in a 'are you serious' manner. He turned to leave but Ratchet spoke up.

"Actually you look three astroseconds away from collapse. Maybe you should join most of the others and leave? " Ratchet pointed his thumb in the direction of 4 retreating back plates.

Tail Wind wanted to moan but kept it in but his faceplate scrunched up in slight irritation. "No, even if I wanted to I can't, we are hurting for help. Please excuse me." Tail Wind gave a soft smile and jogged/staggered away to grab another Barricade bag.

Orion watched as a familiar mech trotted over to Tail Wind and gently grasped his servos to keep him from picking up another bag. Walking up he smiled. "Doubledealer? I did not realize you knew Tail Wind here?"

The mechs turned and Doubledealer grinned widely. "Oh! Orion! I am surprised to see that you do have a life outside of the Archives." The mech teased giving his friends servo a firm shake.

"You know him?" Tail Wind asked curiously. His optic ridge barely able to raise up enough to show he was actually curious.

Doubledealer nodded firmly. "I don't just know him, I work with him." He amended his friend. "I have mentioned him once or twice to you Tails." The mech said with a hint of affection in his words. Tail Wind shook his helm as if sorry for being so forgetful. "So what brings you and your friends here?"

Orion pointed to the white and red bot next to him. "Simply moral support, Doubledealer." He said with a hint of a smile. All mechs turned to look at Ironhide as he cursed loudly.

The red mech had gone to pick up the bag by the corners but just as he was about to throw it over his shoulder it slipped from his fingers due to mud and landed hard on his other pede. Frustrated and sore the red mech kicked the bag then wished he had kicked himself as he hobbled on both pedes unsure which one hurt more now. "I fraggin' give up!" he cursed.

Turning back to the mechs before him with a sigh Orion bid farewell to his friends and went to save the bag from the angry firearms loving mech before he pulled out his carry arms and shot it.

The three remaining mechs let a short silence fall over them. Ratchet looked at Doubledealer for a moment then at Tail Wind. "Mech, you look exhausted. Why not go home and take a rest? I'm sure others can pick up the slack of ONE more bot." Tail Wind grunted as he picked up another bag shaking his helm and with a smile went back to work.

"He's ALWAYS been a mech never to go off and leave something half done, especially if the outcome saves and helps somebot else." Doubledealer whispered softly looking longingly at the retreating, yellow back plates. "Ever since the youth centers he's been that way even going as far as sharing his Energon with others, as long as it made them happy he did it no matter the repercussions for him." Ratchet looked at the mech but the look in the others optics was too deep for him to read into.

"Alright well if you need me I will be over here at the tent setting up snacks and fluids."

Little did Ratchet know that he would be called for nearly 3 hours later when a mech had collapsed. It was the same mech that had refused to leave in favor of helping the others earlier. Doubledealer himself had long since left, too tired to remain by his friends and fellow workmates side.

This mech was the first person Ratchet had ever struck because they had failed to maintain proper health maintenance on themselves as well. So by fault this mech was something special in himself…and the beginning of a historic tradition of the title 'The Hatchet'.

4 months later

Ratchet sighed in exhaustion his shift at the medical center for injured bots was a disaster. What was meant to spend a few groons and that had turned into a several cycle shift. Rubbing at his Face plate he stood from the break room and passed through the waiting room to get to the medical bay, when something yellow caught his optics. It was a scratched, heavily dented, and even worse still bleeding mech. His door wing looked fractured and even one optic was broken but the new Medic was watching as the slim built framed mechs' leg bounced in nervous anticipation his arms crossed over his chassis as he cradled something small to his chest. The yellow mech looked like he was about to cry.

Just then a registry nurse walked by and Ratchet grabbed the nurses servo in his, halting her. "Excuse me, who is that?" he asked pointing at the mech.

The femme looked over her shoulder and rolled her optics. "That's a bot without insurance he'll have to wait for attention till the ensured bots are repaired, you should know the drill doctor." The femme said as if it was obvious.

Ratchet struggled to contain himself, just because he wasn't insured meant he had to wait? What if the bot was slowly bleeding out and died, all because he wasn't insured? "So, because he hasn't the credits to pay a medical bill he is forced to wait?" the nurse nodded before quickly calling out a designation and another perfectly unscathed looking mech walked up the femme complaining about a scratched rim and demanding it be replaced…a scratched rim was far too light for a medical center to take in! That was easily buffed out at a buffing shop! Ratchet wanted to screech, but judging by the lacquer on the mech he was well off and may even live up in the towers…this angered the medic, especially when he was told he would be next to receive treatment.

Ratchet made a B-line for the injured yellow mech and was surprised that when his optics locked on the one operation optic of the other that it was a familiar bot. "It's you! From back at the building sight." Ratchet gasped surprised. The yellow mech stood on one good leg, relief flooding him even as he favored the other, it was then that Ratchet looked down as something was gently passed into his servos. The medic wanted to gasp in horror.

In his servos laid a beaten and starved looking Cyber Hound, it was small for its kind as it looked like a small cyber wolf instead of a hound. "What the pit happened, to you and why is this-"

"Please help him? The MediVet won't take him, because I have no credits! The medical center was his only hope but everybot here knows I have no insurance, please he needs help! Can you-" the yellow mech was cut off with a hiss from his vocals; he cleared them and tried again in a quieter tone. "He was thrown out a moving Alt mode, when I went to retrieve him before he was struck I was hit as well but they didn't stop, I tried to take the brunt of the impact but….he hasn't mov-"

"Follow me." Ratchet clipped out cradling the small hound to his chassis and he tugged the wounded mech along with him. He was stopped by the same nurse as he had asked earlier what the yellow mech's deal was.

"Sir? We still have other patients before him!" she snapped out.

"No." Ratchet unsubspaced a tool and turned around and threw it at the mech from earlier who screeched in pain, grasping at a huge dent in his helm. "Now you have more patients! This one's mine!" Ratchet snarled at the femme while dragging the mech and hound with him. Once in a private room Ratchet pulled a sheet out of a drawer and laid it on the ground, setting the hound on top.

Turning around he washed his servos and went to the yellow mechs side. The mech looked only a megacycle or two younger than him, but about three megacycles younger than Orion, and Ironhide.

When the mech realized the medic had turned to him he quickly backed away with raised servos. "Please, I… I know I don't have enough credits to do anything… and I'm a mess, but I will do anything for you if you can help him, I don't care about my damage it can wait till later."

Ratchet took a moment to realized what the mech was insinuating. His frame was trembling and he looked scared. It was a proposition, and had the mech been his previous chipper and 'healthy' self he might have actually welcomed the offer. Not like this though, not this tattered mess. "I do not know if I can help or save him, but I will try. I am a Medic not a MediVet." Ratchet turned to the hound as he tried to clean the cuts and wounds in the armor. "What was your Designation again?" he asked softy still not taking an optic of his patient.

"Tail Wind, somebots' call me Tails though so-"

The medic smiled softly. "Do you recall my designation?"

Tail Wind off lined his optic and thought hard and long for a moment and just when Ratchet was about to take mercy on the mech and tell him, Tail Wind beat him to it. "Ratchet, you were with Orion, and a red mech called Ironhide." He said softly, fidgeting with his servos.

It took nearly half a cycle to finish his patch job on the hound before looking at Tail Wind. "You must keep him calm and let the welds settle if he does online, now for you-" As he turned to look at the younger mech he stopped and noticed the mech had returned to his trembling. "Do not fear, I will put this on my pay, you will not receive one notice from this facility." He said hoping to calm the mech.

Tail Wind nodded but remained silent as he slowly sat on the berth as he had been directed to by the medic's servo. Tail Winds', trembling worsening to the point that Ratchet could not only see it, but hear him do so. 'poor mech…how many times has he offered his body to pay for things, surely if he is this uncomfortable it hasn't been many?' Ratchet mused to himself. "Calm yourself Tail Wind, I will not touch you in any way but clinical, alright?" The yellow mech looked surprised as he looked at the medic.

Ratchet worked his way around the mech going from most serious to less. By the time he got to the yellow mechs optic the poor youngling was so drugged up on neural buffers it was comical as he became much more loose lip plated.

"-and he waz like, 'C'mon whaz the wirst that coul' hap'n.' but I still said 'NO!' cause I wanna save my seals for the_ one._ Seally DoubbleD." Tail Wind slurred whimsically causing Ratchet to halt his actions as he had just replaced the optics and had yet to activate the wires for functionality.

"Tail Wind? You're still sealed?" He asked almost not believing what he was hearing. Ratchet knew it was out of his scope to ask such a question but couldn't stop his curiosity.

Tail Wind chuckled drunkenly. "Er-yep…. But don' tale nobuddy tho-. " he slurred out conspiratorially.

Ratchet reset his optics in surprise and shook his head. "If you're sealed why did you offer yourself to me? Especially if you're saving yourself?"

Tail Wind seemed to somber up with a frown. "Hiz life waz fading, I could help 'im. My zealz are importtint…but a live is more so." He slurred solemnly.

Ratchet frowned looking down at the Unit at the berth's side. "Alright Tail Wind, I think you've had enough with the buffers, I'm giving you a neutralizer that should have you mostly coherent." The mech whined at the loss of his drunken haze the nano kliks depleting his high quickly. Ratchet bent down and retrieved the still offline hound. "Tail Wind, I did all I could… if he is not online by this coming solar cycle I fear he will not online at all." Ratchet spoke tenderly as he gently handed the unit over to its new handler.

Tail Wind slowly stood up and took the unit from the medic. "Thank you, for everything." He said somberly as he tried to smile kindly at the medic.

Something broke within Ratchet at the sight and he sighed heavily. "Tail Wind? My shift is long over, please allow me to walk you home?" Tail Wind shook his helm quickly about to make an excuse as to why he shouldn't walk the mech home but Ratchet interrupted. "Think of this as your consequences for my having to repair you out of my own subspace." He said and the other immediately shut his mouth with a slow nod.

So Ratchet did walk him home, all 11 miles home. Ratchet would have suggested transforming and driving but the mechs welds hadn't fully set yet, and there wasn't enough room for both the unit and the mech in his alt mode…so they walked. When Ratchet finally saw the condition of the complex the mech lived in, he curled his lip plate. "please tell me you do not truly reside here?" he questioned grotesquely and when the yellow nodded he was forced to exvent sharply. "Nope! You're coming home with me!" Tail Wind made to argue but Ratchet pulled out his wrench and smacked the yellow helm harshly. "you are still recovering from you wounds! You and your unit may reside with myself and my roommate Ironhide in our small residence uptown." Tail Wind couldn't argue, the medic wouldn't allow that, and so he was dragged away again.


	2. Chapter 2

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**WARNING: some mech/mech its nothing HUGE but it does have some in this chapter just a fore warning...mostly in there cause I thought it would be awkwardly funny.**

**some OOCness and there are a cpule of OC's so if you don't like it sorry bout ya I tried to make them most 'insignificant' characters but oh well. please enjoy and R&R =3**

Chapter 2

Upon arrival Tail Wind looked like a youngling in an Energon goodie store. He was bouncing off the walls with barely contained excitement, as he looked around the room in awe at how nice and furnished it was, his wings were arched high and fluttered excitedly.

The walls held all their pant and décor, with no holes and no glitch mice or cyber rats scurrying across the decking. He was so excited that when he turned to Ratchet with bright optics and panting slightly out of breath from his burst of motion; Ratchet actually chuckled softly. "Please Tail Wind calm yourself or you will-"

"Ratchet what the frag is going on in…here?" Ironhide trailed off when his optics settled on the newly polished and mostly clean yellow youngling and raised an optic ridge. "Care to elaborate, Ratchet?" at the almost disapproving look Ironhide gave them, the youngers faceplate melted into worry and he began to gnaw at his lip plate, his wings falling low and lying flat in their deflated 'popped bubble' kind of way.

Ratchet smiled gently at the slightly older mech and went to his side. "Hide, this is Tail Wind from a few megacycles ago, and his new charge. They are going to stay here for a couple of orns just till they are healed." When the mech still looked nonplussed Tail Wind tried to speak up his wing twittering nervously.

"Please? I promise I will try my hardest not to be a burden. As a matter of fact I have work at the Track tomorrow night so you won't even notice my being here!" Tail Wind resituated the hound with care its dark helm lolling lifelessly over his arm.

"If yer on shift tomorrow then of course ah won't notice ya being here, ya won't be here!" Ironhide groused out but tensed slightly when he felt the white and red mech beside him tense and glare at him sternly then turned the ire some glare to the yellow mech.

"You will not be going anywhere near the race track for at least several orns! Your welds may look like they've set but there is always a chance for complications! And the risk factor for that increases with high speeds." Ratchet snapped at the yellow mech, whose optics shone over bright at being scolded, it was obvious he wanted to say something but wisely decided to keep quiet.

'_Hmm, fast learner'_ Ironhide thought as he smiled gently. Already he could tell Ratchet was fond of this mech for some reason. This mech had attracted the attention of his friend rather quickly, what was so special about him that had the other bringing him home like a lost hound? With a soft exvent Ironhide gained the speedsters attention. "C'mon kid I'll show ya the room you'll be stayin' in." he turned around walking back down the hall he had come from.

The yellow bot nodded pulling the small hound to his chassis just a little tighter and following nervously. Ironhide opened the door, the room was rather bland with only off-white walls, and a large berth big enough for two bots in the corner against the window. "The mutt can lay on the berth with ya if ya want. If not there's some old tarps in the storage room over there, just set it on the floor. If you need Ratchet or I, our quarters is the room just to the left of this one." He said gruffly and closed the door behind the mech.

Tail Wind gently set the limp unit on the berth as he lay next to him. Pulling the hound to his chassis, he gently stroked down the smooth metal frame the mottled, nearly marbled looking black and dark green marking indistinguishable with no good light. "You have to wake up, please." His vocals were soft and coaxing hoping to coax the hound into wakefulness, yet still to no avail. '_maybe it is merely too soon from his surgery? Ratchet said till dawn so maybe it's just a waiting game?_' Tail Wind mused to himself mentally as he coddled the hound into his chassis. His wings dropping low in unvoiced worry.

Ratchet was in their shared room waiting for Ironhide when he returned from placing the youngling in his new room. "Ratchet? Why on Cybertron did ya bring work home with ya? Again." He said as an afterthought, remembering when the last time he had brought work home. It was a slim white and pink femme known as Arcee, not even in her final frame yet; she had stayed a week then finally just disappeared never to have returned. Ratchet had told him when he brought her home that she was just a young femme in need and what mech would leave a femme in need, needing? Of course he had also went on a tirade how she hadn't even said 'hi', 'Bye', 'kiss my aft', or anything when she had vanished.

The white and red medic shrugged and swirled his cube of Energon gently, not looking at his friend. "He's not a pet Ratch, you can't keep 'im" Ironhide said and Ratchets bottom lip stuck out just a hair further in a slight pout. "Are you goin' ta say somethin' or am I gonna have a full blown conversation with myself?" Ironhide said sounding the tiniest bit exasperated, and annoyed.

"I just thought I could help him, he….Ironhide he offered me his _seals_ just to save the life of a _hound_ and not just any hound but a stray that was cast out, and it wasn't even a familiar with him!" Ratchet wanted to yell but his sharp hiss was more than appropriate to get through to the red mech.

Ironhide felt his optics brighten and his orbital ridges raised in surprise. Ratchet exvented hard as his frame trembled with a horrible thought, one that undoubtedly the red mech wasn't privy too. "A mech with a spark that big is too good for this world. He _needs_ someone to watch over him or he'll just be taken advantage of-"

"Ya want to protect the kid? Oh, Ratchet…" Ironhide off lined his optics and shook his helm his servo covering his face in disapproval. Already his lover had it bad, for the youngling. "Ya barely know the kid, Ratchet… what will happen when ya find another bot with just as big a spark, then what? You can't save everyone. Or what if you wake up to find he's just left with no goodby-"

"I know that Ironhide! But Tail Wind is different he needs somebot, anybot that can and is willing to help him! I can help him, so I will." Ratchet said smirking slightly when the yellow mech came to mind and what he had said for the hound. Ratchet went to look up at his red counterpart but was met with a glossa lashing out at his lips. Ratchet pushed readily into the kiss his own glossa lashing out to tangle with the mechs.

Ironhide chuckled softly. "So the kid offered ya his seals, hm? Think the offers still open-OW!" Ironhide yelped as Ratchet smacked him. "What? If he offered he's obviously not too 'attached' ta the-OW, MECH quit whackin' me with yer servos!" Ironhide grouched gripping his helm.

"Fine I'll use a wrench instead!" He snapped and did just that, his tools readily available even as the mech tried to clamber atop his frame.

"Fragger!" Ironhide snapped but it held no true venom. He finally pounced his lover then, pinning him to the berth. "I was merely teasin' Ratchet." Ironhide said as he pulled the wrench wielding servo so his mouth plate and gently mouthed the servo teasingly.

Ratchet gasped and quivered with a moan. The wrench dropping from his grasp to clatter on the floor as Ironhide took a finger into his mouth. "Hide…." He moaned loudly. His pelvis thrust up to gain friction from the red pelvic armor that straddled his waist. "It's been a long day let's just frag and forego the foreplay!" he hissed loudly as Ironhide nipped at the digit in his mouth.

"With Pleasure…" the larger mech chuckled darkly.

Tail Wind pulled the unit to his chest as his optics grew wide with worry. He heard a few clangs, yelps, and hisses and feared the two bots were fighting about something… probably about his staying there.

He was just about to get up and tell the mechs that fighting was unnecessary and he would gladly leave to keep the peace between the two close friends but a noise made him pause. There it was again a soft lust filled moan. Tail Wind felt his face flush and he burrowed deeper into the units plating trying to save his audials from the encroaching sounds, to no avail. The moaning and hissing grew louder and more fevered and Tail Wind whimpered as his face flushed, he nearly squeezed the hound to himself to hide his embarrassment.

"Fraggit 'Hide deeper, I won't break! OH Primus you're so big!"

"Oh good Primus! I shouldn't be listening to this!" Tail Wind yelped his face so full of his life Energon it hurt. '_can I assume this means they are more than mere friends, and roommates?_' Tail Wind thought just as another load moan came to his audials.

Oddly enough he remained on the berth all night though listening most of the night to the other mechs activities. Every time Ratchet or Ironhide yelped or howled in 'muted' pleasure it caused a wave of heat to flush through his young inexperienced systems. He himself was not obviously immune to such heated moans and heat built under his codpiece painfully pressing against his seals.

Granted they were strangers for the most part to him but neither mech was bad looking. So as their passion grew and continued late into the night, Tail Wind decided to do something a little more recreational because he obviously wasn't getting any recharge with his temporary house mates…

Ratchet awoke feeling refreshed and content. He onlined a little slower but that was normal after a night like the previous one. Looking over to his side he gently brushed a servo over the red mechs cheek arch fondly. The red mech stirred and his optics booted up as he smiled softly at the Medic. "Mornin'." His voice was deeper and fuzzed with static so he cleared them.

"Good morning. I think it is well past time to get up, we should check on our guest." Ironhide groaned but nodded his agreement as he rolled onto his back and stretched his cables. Both exited the room, Ratchet keyed open the room next to theirs to see... an empty room. Ratchet's face grew red and he snarled. "That sorry fragger left in the middle of the night!" he turned and left the empty room still in a tirade but froze as he entered the rec room.

Ironhide ran into the white back plate when it stopped suddenly. "Ratch? What's wrong?" he asked suddenly a little wary. Looking over his lovers shoulder he gasped. The residence had been cleaned spotless. Floors dusted and polished even, counters cleaned of tools…and a few weapons in Ironhide's case, paperwork that had been strewn all over the table had been placed in neat stacks all on one edge. Ratchet looked around and it was then he noticed pedes dangling half hazard like over the armrest of the couch. Slowly Ratchet approached.

It was just as Ratchet rounded the couch that a soft growl was heard, surprising the mech immensely. Laying protectively over the mechs chassis was a dusty looking cyber hound, much the same as its owner. The hound growled again at the medic and Ratchet growled right back with his engine, the hound pulled back with a look of surprise, as it slowly lowered its helm to lay back on the mechs chassis.

As Ratchet got to the others' side he lent down and brushed a gently servo over the mechs cheek arch. The hound didn't snap at Ratchet like he had expected instead it whined. Ratchet slowly reached for the hound and patted the black and dark green helm softly. "You seem to have bonded with him already, huh?" Ratchet mused aloud. It was as if the mech was a small ball of cosmic dust formed into a little sun, and now everything was slowly starting to revolve around that little ball of light. It almost frightened Ratchet when he realized how hurt he had felt to discover Tail Wind was no longer in his quarters, and the relief he had felt to discover him sleeping on the couch.

"Could the kid not get comfy in the berth?" Ironhide teased softly as he leaned against the back of the couch peering over at the sleeping yellow mech and grumpy looking hound. Ratchet smiled up at the red meh and shrugged before looking back at the mech before him.

Sitting on the edge of the couch he gently shook the others shoulder in an attempt to stir him. He received a semi harsh smack from the mech, as he slurred and mumbled in his sleep. " D.D. I told ya ta stop it, I don'… think you… like that." He grumbled and Ratchet felt a small bumble of anxious jealousy. He knew of the mech Tail Wind spoke about. D.D. was more commonly known as Doubledealer. The mech seemed nice enough but he had his devious streak too, he was also a huge opportunist. And if Ratchet thought about it the slurred name from yesterday's events had also resembled Doubledealer designation.

"Tail Wind? " The mech shifted but again didn't stir.

"Slag, the kid can really put them Z's away can't he?" Ironhide chuckled, earning a half sparked glare from surprisingly the hound, not so surprisingly Ratchet as well. Ratchet shook the exhausted frame again and still received nothing from the mech.

"Ironhide he isn't waking up do you think something is wrong?" Ratchet asked almost sounding worried.

"Nah, Ratchet the kids fine, if he's anything like I think he is- watch this." Ironhide stood from the back of the couch and walked into the kitchen reaching over to the small personal Energon dispenser he grabbed two cubes and turned the dispenser on. At the sound of the dispenser running Tail Wind and the hound both shot off the couch like their wires were on fire. Both barely kept themselves from nearly running over to the mech their optics large and pleading. Ratchet sat shocked as he watched the whole thing go down.

Ironhide handed the full cube to the yellow mech who quickly sat at the table and the half full cube to the small hound, the unit barely reaching the yellow sports cars knees. Leaning over Ironhide grabbed two more and began to fill them for himself and Ratchet, as the white and red mech began to cross the room towards them.

"How did you know that would wake him up? The dispensers are so quiet anymore?" he mused to his partner.

Ironhide laughed loudly as he watched the yellow mech chug at the cube while the hound lapped up the rest of his meal greedily. "Oh he isn't awake, he is merely in standby right now." Ratchet frown and walked around the table and was horrified to see that the red mech was correct the youngers optics were dim and far away looking his face barely even showing any form of emotion. He looked to Ironhide with concerned optics.

Ironhide shrugged with mild sad humor. "When you live in the rundown parts of cities you hear loud racket, and destruction all the time, probably even the occasional murder right outside your door. But food is scarce and almost sacred. Do you not remember when he said he had skipped his morning rations the last time we met?" Ratchet nodded as he vaguely recalled the statement. "He didn't skip it, he didn't eat cause he didn't have it to eat. You saw that your scanner had read low levels? The kid probably spends all his credits just to maintain a roof over his helm; he can't afford meals so he probably goes to shelters to eat. Yet he seems more like the type to share his rations to those who don't have enough."

Ratchet wasn't pleased. "His frame type isn't in poor condition, as a matter of fact it suggests he came from rather well off parentage, so where are they? He grew up with an adoptive spark carrier if he was dropped off as a sparkling, where are _they _at?!" he almost snarled.

"Dead."

Ratchet looked down with shocked optics, it seemed the mech had come out of standby. "Tail Wind?" The voice almost sounded like a new mech, a mech that had such a cold dark secret that it hurt to even speak about it.

"My adopted carrier was killed vorns ago. I was adopted by a mech who was really sweet. He worked at the youth centers for sparkling and was the one who found me. My spark was so weak that I latched onto the first spark that was willing to offer help. I was pulled from a dark world and into one of love and devotion. He was young but a hard worker, he was hardly older than I am now, but when I 'asked' for a bond he willingly accepted… when he realized what was happening. I feasted on a meal for the first time ever."

Ratchet looked horrified, most sparkling grow up not remembering such things especially in their first few cycles, it was just too much to keep to memory so it was usually trashed but it seemed that the yellow mech made a point to remember.

Ratchet made to ask a question but before Ratchet spoke Tail Wind continued. "My original carrier gave birth to me and left me in the Youth Centers trash can, she refused to allow me to re-bond to her spark after I was born, I was dying and no one at the youth center thought there was any hope for me, so no one offered to bond, they all said similar things. 'What's the point of getting attached to a dead sparkling?' I remember hearing him even though I couldn't see him. He was hysterical…I don't think he even realized how many times I pushed at his EM field weakly 'asking' for a bond with him but when _his_ EM field lashed out to envelope me just as I thought I was going to die I grasped it savagely and fed, and lived… His name was Ryders Luck and luck was definitely on his side."

Tail wind chuckled darkly as if remembering so many dangerous happenings that should have ended the mechs life. He slowly took another drought of his cube then continued on. "He was a racer with an older model than me. But he was so nice and I was so similar to him that most thought he was my real carrier. When he was drugged at the track for a winner take all race, he lost all his sponsors and became racing history as new fresh meat was brought in." Tail Winds wings sagged with grief at the memory and occasionally twitched as if harboring his irritation at the happenings. "We moved out of luxury and into the slums. We were hungry and dirty-" The hound stopped his eating and looked up at the mech as his communication sped up. He barked frantically as if forewarning a disaster to the mechs health. "-but happy with each other… then they just came in the night like a horrible defrag- we shared a berth as I often had nightmares and-they forced me to watch-! They hurt him and I just laid there while he screamed and begged them to leave me and take him and i-" Tail Wind seemed to fritz and Ratchet could literally see the crash coming and it did, it hit hard and fast. The yellow mech pitched sideways and right into the awaiting arms of a red mech.

Ironhide looked horrified but Ratchet couldn't tell if it was from the story or the fact that it hurt so much and stressed the mech out so much that he crashed. "Frag, Kid!" the red cursed softly pulled the small frame into his chassis and arms. "It's okay calm yer pistons, yer safe here okay?" Ironhide tried to sooth the mech but it was useless the mech was already in shut down.

Slowly Ratchet approached, his spark ached for the young mech, obviously his adoptive carrier had been killed by the assault and he had cruelly accused Ryders Luck of leaving the mech willingly. He felt like a total glitch now. Gently Ratchet stroked the now damp faceplate as oily tears streamed down from the offline optics.

"So it must have been then that he was forced to go to the youth centers to be raised, and where he met Doubledealer. It explains why he furiously worked to save the slums, he lived there and even though it held the most painful of memories it still held happy ones and those were the ones he wanted to hold onto." Ratchet cooed softly so as not to try and bother the shutdown mech.

It was in this moment that Ironhide saw the mech Ratchet did. The loving, endearing mech that was impossible to hate. The one that had caught his spark in a jar and now he held two sparks in his small servos and didn't even realize it. "Okay, I admit it… the kid knows how ta grow on ya….like rust!" he groused softly slowly rocking the mech in his grasp, careful so as not to hurt the kibble on the others back. The Cyber Hound looked on in worry but stayed sitting, an intelligent move on its part, Ratchet mused.

"Come on we can put him into berth and let him online on his own time, I really don't want to reboot him after such a hard crash." Ratchet said and Ironhide nodded, picking up the smaller mech fumbling gently in a way that he could carry him without damaging a wing.

Ratchet opened the door for the mechs and Ironhide set the youngling down. Both exited the room after covering the mech with a tarp to keep him from cooling uncomfortably. They were about to shut the door when the hound darted between their legs and right onto the berth with the yellow mech. Ratchet groused at the hound but left it to keep the younger company for when he onlined, he would need that one comfort.


	3. Chapter 3

I OWN NOTHING!

BUT! I do owe a HUGE shout out to some VERY wonderful reviewers and their reviews:

Firewolves16: thank you for the review on Chapter 2. it and the other reviews have been driving me to keep this up by the way I think your personification of Jazz is going well, keep up he hard work.

Guest: Thank you for your review, if your following this story then you will discover what happened while Tail Wind was in standby. Thank you again for the review.

Stitchar: just for your love of the Cyber hound I've given it a little more character. I really hope you like how it turned out, she will become a key role later on to Tail Winds new body(Mini bot wise).

Last but not least -

Thank You

Fireworks: I would have gladly updated sooner but there were circumstances that made me incapable of doing so. but here it is. it's short but just a little something to keep you in the loop. I hope you and everyone else enjoys. again thank you for the long review it always gives me warm and fuzzies to read.

R&R-

Chapter 3:

The onlining was slower than usual for the golden yellow mech. His optics flickered and a small light on his HUD suggested that he had something in the orbital socket, possibly dust from his frantic distractive cleaning the night before.

He was stiff, but not as much as to suggest he had slept on a couch far too small for his frame size. Slowly he sat up his chronometer reading a late morning time that sent shame through his processor. The red and white medic, and red mech must think him so lazy! He had only been asleep for four cycles, but then again he had been up all night cleaning.

Tail Wind tried to get up but a warning growl and weight on his waist forced his optics to flicker in surprise as he looked down. There looking at him were two gold optics within the helm of a very dirty hound. "Uh… may I please get up?" He questioned as he tried to get up again. The hound curled a dermal lip and bared sharp silver fangs. "No? Okay…" He said sheepishly as he laid in the berth once more the hound falling silent.

The yellow mech vaguely remembered the hound coming online early in the morning while he had been cleaning. Yet the hound had responded to him poorly, with snarls and snaps. It had taken nearly half a cycle to calm the hound enough for the mech to be capable of just touching the hound. After the first few strokes the hound had pounced upon his chassis and proceeded to lap oral fluids all over him, then oddly enough try and help him clean… it hadn't turned out well as the razor sharp denta had chewed the cleaning broom, shredded a few documents (the yellow mech hoped were unimportant) and then accidentally broke a couple of empty but clean energon cubes.

Now that Tail Wind thought about it, the poor hound had done more damage than good. Yet he was just so happy to see the hound awake to care too much, he could easily try and pay the bill for damages it would just take time. In the end the dust had been cleaned from every surface and settled on their polished framed, much like flying viral beetles to track tape. So that meant that both hound and handler alike needed a good cleaning… but-

Tail Wind tried to sit up again but was once more snarled at in warning. He flopped back down. This was crazy the hound that had seemed so happy to function with him all night was now holding him in compound on a berth… a berth? When did he get on a berth…? "Ratchet?" his voice was soft almost afraid if he yelled too loud the hound would attack him… maybe the poor thing had a glitch or virus? When neither medic nor 'roommate' seemed to respond the yellow speedster he tried just a little louder. "Ratchet?"

Ratchet who was setting at the table jerked from his task of messy document patches and shreds of said documents. Ironhide who was on the couch watching a holo-vid. also perked at the sound of the medics' designation. Both mechs exchanged worried glances. "Why don't the kid just come out? He ain't on no punishment duty…" Ironhide huffed as he stood to follow his mate down the hall.

When Ratchet opened the door he was surprised to see the yellow mech pinned at his waist by the dusty green and black hound. Said hound had its paws under its chin and seemed completely at ease…glaring at the yellow mech, almost daring him to move.

"Uh…. She um… won't let me up…" Tail Wind whimpered as he tried to sit up to demonstrate only for the hound growled again her face pulling into a dangerous snarl before falling silent as Tail Wing flopped back down.

Ratchet slowly approached a scanner sweeping the two frames the hound never even bothering to notice the medic and the only thing that made the medic sure the hound noticed his approach was the knitting of protoform on the hounds fore-helm when she cast him a sidelong 'pleading' look. A large red warning popped up on the medics' scanner and he hissed in surprise. "Tail Wind! Don't move whatever you do."

Well… that didn't freak the youngling out at all! His optics darted between the hound and the medic afraid for the moment that whatever the hound had was bad enough to worry the slightly older mech out.

"Ironhide! In our berthroom is my jump kit, bring it here STAT!" the medic snapped. Ironhide, not understanding what was wrong but knowing that voice quickly darted into the room and retrieving the large blocky kit.

"Ratch?" Ironhide growled glaring at the hound as if that would scare the unit off and away from the youngling on the berth.

Ratchet knelt beside the berth not paying any heed to the hound that still remained glaring at the yellow mech. "It is not the hound! Tail Wind do you remember being awake earlier this morning?" The red and white asked while he began to fumble with a multitude of different colored wires, unraveling them and inspecting them to ensure their quality.

"I was awake?" He asked in confusion.

Tail Wind tried to sit up and look at the medic only for the hound to snarl loudly at him and Ratchet to snap "Lay down, ya fragger!" his optics showing a slight fear or irritation… (They were so much alike in the medics case), this was still about the hound right?

"Ironhide, the kids got a virus in his wing joint that is spreading the more he moves, he wasn't just on standby earlier he was trying to boot up but it seems the Virus was hindering his relays, it may also be why he was so loose-lip-plated earlier if it glitched his CPU temporarily. I didn't catch it last night when doing repairs on his fractured wing…" _because I didn't think about doing a regulatory scan afterwards._ Went unsaid by the young medic. He was going to kick himself for vorns, it was a rookie mistake and the fact that he WAS a rookie was no excuse! "Ironhide come hold his shoulders down this is going to hurt."

"Ratchet?" Tail Wind said uncertainly as he tried to sit up and get away from a frowning large red mech, who was now towering over him. The small hound leaned up enough to try and pin the yellow chassis down with all her weight even as she growled in warning again but much softer… almost as if in an apology.

Ironhide gripped the yellow shoulders and pushed down just as Ratchet began hooking wires into his medical ports behind his helm, the side of his chassis and two in the hinges of his wings. "Settle down kid or you'll only make it worse, virus' caused from a injury are nasty lil' buggers and need ta be eliminated ASAP. Don't worry 'Ratch knows what he's doin'." Ironhide said as he gripped the shoulders just as Ratchet nodded and began the antiviral nanite download.

Tail Winds hips bucked but the small hound rode out the frantic bucks and thrashings till the download completed a few kliks later leaving a drained youngling and a frustrated and panting Ironhide. ~Kid's stronger than he looks. ~ Ironhide mused over their bond refusing to let the 'compliment' known to the small yellow frame.

Tail Wind groaned but stayed down. "Ow… that really hurt." The smaller mech whimpered and Ratchet growled in agreement but didn't vocalize otherwise.

The hound on the other servo sat up from her spot on the yellow chassis and leapt down before shaking her armor and sending dust everywhere.

"Amazing." Ratchet mused as he looked the hound over in awe. "So when did you find out it was a femme?" he asked as he knelt down to get a thorough look at the small knee high hound.

Tail Wind sat up as the word 'amazing' floated in his CPU for moment before he answered the given question instead. "Uh-um well, when she onlined last night. I finally got her to calm down enough to allow me to touch her but I kept caller her a 'him' and she kept curling her lip as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. Then she suddenly came to my side and rolled over for a tank rub and I saw that she had no... well… you know… uh-"

"Spike?" Ironhide said without care to how personal it was to talk about another's hardware. But the way he said it said more, it showed how much he disliked the unit as a beast.

Ratchet grinned at the embarrassed little yellow speedster before standing and glancing at the red mech. "She is much smarter than you think Ironhide. I do not believe she merely wanted you to rub her protoform belly Tail Wind, I believe she was trying to prove her gender to you. I also believe you have here one very intelligent CPU." Ratchet said as he looked at the small knee high hound. The femme canted her helm to the side before yipping almost in agreement.

"What makes ya say that Ratchet? Its jus' a dumb hound." Ironhide said looking at the small femme even as she turned glaring gold optics on him.

"I would watch what you say Ironhide, she knew the kid was going to crash earlier. Remember? She barked in warning. She also sensed Tail Wind had something wrong and refused him the ability to get up from the berth where the virus would spread faster. She is very intelligent and I have a feeling you upset her." Ratchet said smugly his orbital ridges raised in a form of comic relief.

"What makes you say tha-" Ironhide fell silent his optic brightening in surprise as a bizarre sound hit his audios. Looking down Ironhide cursed loudly as he withdrew his pede from under the running stream of flushed lubricant. "You sorry pile of scrap metal! She lubricated me!" He snarled as he reached for subspace to pull out a small carry arms.

Ratchet picked the femme hound up and looked dangerously at the larger red mech. "I dare you to shoot something in my house again Ironhide… I will strip you to your protoform and pour water in your joints till you rust." With that threat hanging Ironhide looked at the back of his retreating mate and the slowly retreating yellow wings of Tail Wind. "Oh and Ironhide? You are cleaning up the mess, you were the one that fragged her off." Ratchet said snidely as he pulled the femme closer to his chassis and nuzzled her. "Good femme." He cooed quietly once out of the room, leaving a red and fuming mech.

Once in the other room and sitting at the table Tail Wind looked to the medic. "Soooooo, did I miss something?" he asked, curious about what the earlier 'awake' comment had been about. Ratchet-who had set the hound down beside Tail Wind and turned to pour a couple of energon cubes- looked over his shoulder to glance at the mech.

"Earlier you went into standby and… well you were speaking some really bizarre dreams aloud." Ratchet lied. Ironhide who had just entered into the room looked at his mate with a 'no he didn't' look. Ratchet set the cubes down and glanced at his mate. ~Not a word 'Hide. The kid didn't mean to tell us anything, pit he probably would have laid on his back and recited his whole VIN number if we had mentioned it then told us his darkest secrets wearing pink armor if we suggested it to him. He will tell us again under his own circumstances and in his own time. ~ Ratchet said over the mate bond trying to make sure his other half understood how important it was that Ironhide kept his lip plates sealed.

Ironhide who had a cleaning clothe in servo set it down and huffed his engine making a weird knocking sound before he coughed. "Well then, now what? I know I do not work for another orn and a half. Same for you Ratchet, and the kid has a shift in about a joor-"

"Which he is not going to attend!" Ratchet snapped.

Tail Wind frowned and looked at the white and red mech. "I have to! You see last night Speedway was trying to help me clean and she-"

Ratchet raised an optic ridge. "So you named her Speedway? I suppose for a speedster such as yourself it is fitting. Still you are not going to the track-"

"I have to pay you back I can't just-" the yellow mech yelped and grasped his helm in pain as a wrench landed with a resounding clang on his helm before clattering loudly to the floor.

"I said 'no'! You will stay here till your welds settle fragger! And if I see you step even a yard within that door without myself or Ironhide with you- I give _you_ permission to bite his aft off!" he yelled, pointing at the hound who raised her head from her cube of energon her blue lips pulled back in a 'grin' and she sneezed loudly as if enjoying her new task. Her tail wagging softly as she let a soft 'huff' come from her vents.

Tail Wind felt his optics flicker between the medic and then the hound… "D-did I just get put me in compound?" He asked in shock.

Ironhide smirked and leaned over the surprised youngling. "Keep it up and it'll get real interestin' last time I fought him on something so hard he sedated me and I woke up several cycles later servo cuffed to the berth and my armor was-"

"This is great energon!" Tail Wind yelped suddenly standing up from his chair with a clatter, forcing the red mech to reel away or chance being helm-butted. "You know what I forgot to wash my cube! I think I'll wash my cube!" He exclaimed quickly.

Ratchet just leaned against the counter enjoying the suddenly blue cheeks of the youngling. A content smirk settling onto his faceplate. "Indeed." He chuckled as he watched the younger mech bounce across the room and to the small faucet where he began to thoroughly scrub the cube clean. "So the plan for today is simple; find Tail Wind a suitable environment for inhabitation." Ratchet said finally.

Ironhide felt his face scrunch up and he looked to his mate quizzically. "Really? I hate shopping…" he groused.

"Good thing we are not shopping then, merely looking around. You _are_ going right Ironhide?" Ratchet said with an innocent grin.

"Frag that I-" Ironhide began but a sudden growl had the mech looking straight at his pedes and at a small femme hound glared back at him…at his codpiece more specifically. "So when do we leave?" he corrected. And the hound stood to go to Tail Winds side a lazy wag to hey tail as Ironhide relaxed a servo trailing protectively to the sensitive plating. "Phew…" he sighed in relief.

So a few short cycles later found all three mechs and the small hound –who refused to leave Tail Winds' side- at the Archives, where many a bot brought their homes to be placed on open market for sale. Somebots milled around the entrance but when a blue seeker came barreling out of the doors talking over his shoulder and ran headlong into the small yellow winged mech forcing him to fall onto his aft with a grunt… you could say something was going to happen. "Watch were you're going mud slinger!" The mech snarked at the mellow who had fallen.

"Forgive me, I will be more careful in the future." Tail Wind said softly as he stood and dusted his still slightly dusty frame off.

"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" The blue seeker said looking Tail Wind up and down scrutinizing every 'flaw' he could make out. His faceplate coming in dangerous proximity to the others.

Ratchet went to step up and defend his still recovering patient but Ironhide put a servo up. ~Kids gotta learn to stick up for 'imself. If it gets outta servo then I'll step in, okay? ~ The red mech said as he watched the yellow mech shake his helm.

"You know us grounders, we all look alike." He teased lightly as he smiled at the flyer sincerely.

"Mech, you even smell like slag." He sneered as he took a whiff of the dusty yellow mech.

"True, but at least I don't look like it." Tail Wind chipped before backpedaling when the seeker lunged for him.

"Are you insinuating that I look like slag? You scrap heap!" the seeker snarled. The small femme hound who had gone unnoticed till then began to bark and snarl at the tall seeker. A blue pede kicked out at the hound with his own pede and a snarl in return as the kick landed true and the hound yelped in pain.

"I was not insinuating anything, please release me and leave Speedway alone." Tail Wind said honestly.

But the seeker kicked out at the hound again and the movement jarred the yellow mechs still recovering door wing harshly. When a hiss escaped his vocal Ironhide began to step up to rescue the yellow mech when… something unexpected happened. The femme hound jumped up and bit the blue seekers codpiece causing the mech to double over with a howl of pain, but as his helm lowered Tailwinds yellow knee jerked upwards and caught the mech in the face plate. He was released as the seeker reeled away from the deadly duo his servos going to his face plate with a howl of pain.

Tail Wind stood up and bowed slightly to the mech. "I am sorry, but I did ask nicely." He said as he tried to look over his shoulder to see that there were many mechs and femmes alike looking at the slim built speedster. His face darkened in a shade of blue and he quickly entered the building the femme hound on his heels as her tail wagged in triumph. (Leaving a very frustrated and humiliated Seeker behind them.)

Ironhide whistled in a show of how pleased he was with the small yellow mech. ~Damn, kids got some fight in 'im. Probably learned that from his time on the streets and from the youngling centers. ~ Ironhide mused sounding more impressed than Ratchet had heard in a while.

Ratchet rolled his optics in such a way that his helm also rolled. ~C'mon we can't lose the speedster in there! ~ he said dragging the red mech with him as they went to catch up with the other mech. Unnoticed by Ratchet was the red pede that lashed out and 'accidentally' kicked a blue shin with a clang. ~Did you just-~ Ratchet growled as he looked back at the cursing seeker and then at an innocently grinning Ironhide.

~No! Ah would never! ~ He said exaggeratedly as he then began to pull the other along so as to keep him from asking too many questions.

Once they caught up with Tail Wind it was with a bubble of jealousy in Ratchet that his engine revved softly. To see the fast Cybertronian talking animatedly with Doubledealer and Orion caused the reaction that Ratchet would later have to study closely... perhaps he was glitching? "Ah, old friend. Tail Wind here was just telling us how you helped him yester-solar cycle." Orion said as Doubledealer pulled the slightly taller mech down to rub his helm playfully.

It went unnoticed by the other three mechs but the wince that Ratchet saw on Tail Wind's face plate when his jarred wing pitched forward was as noticeable to him as a missing limb. "Tail Wind? How is your wing?" he asked almost indifferently as he tried to cool his rising temper at how touchy feely the other mech was being with the youngling… even if they were younglinghood friends.

The yellow mech seemed to brighten in a blush as Doubledealer pulled away to look scrutinizing at his friend. "Tail's? What's wrong with your wing?" He asked as he turned the mechs around to look at the right wing as it hung just a tiny increment lower than the other but when the left wing fluttered lightly in embarrassment the right one merely stiffened.

"Oh… that well um it's nothing really-" he began but Ironhide looked playfully at Ratchet who suddenly gained a glint to his optics one that everyone at the medical centers knew far too well.

"If you do not tell me the truth, I will make sure it is 'nothing' in a klik!" Ratchet snarled a servo disappearing in his subspace as he grabbed the mechs good wing and tugged gently on it… the action more than enough to make the yellow mech yelp in surprise.

Tail Winds optic brightened and he grinned cheekily at the medic from his awkwardly bent over angle. "What I meant to say was, I must have jarred it in that little scuffle-" he tried to amend.

"_Scuffle_?! When do you get into scuffles?" the smallest of the group ask in surprise as he looked at his younglinghood friend.

"It's not like that, you see i-" He tried again but once more was cut off.

"Kicked a seekers aft that's what he did!" Ironhide piped in making even the red and blue mech look down in surprise at the yellow and black racer.

It was obvious then how uncomfortable Tail Wind had suddenly grew within the small group. With a heavy vent Ratchet looked at the tall archivist. "Orion? Where are the open market housings for financial aid housing?" Ratchet asked the taller mech. Both Doubledealer and Orion pointed behind the group where a sloppy amount of scattered data pads were strewn across a table.

It took all of Ratchets control not to curl his lip plate in distaste. "Thank you. Let's go mechs." He clipped at the yellow and red mech as he turned and a soft yip fell onto his audios. "You too femme." He added and the hound bound up beside them.

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AN: whelp! its not SUPER long but... its long enough to give you a little giggle I guess. I hope you like this little chapter i'll be posting another before to awful long I hope...'specially now that I have a Word Document for my new computer.

Read and Review ^_^


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